KEN PHILLIPS, PUBLICIST: “BE CREATIVE AND HAVE THE RIGHT CONTACTS!”

Among the most passionate people about music are those who work in the music industry: at labels, as press relation people, as concert promoters, as booking agents, as managers, as music critics, and so on. RREVERB proposes to its readers a series of interviews with passionate music artisans.Today, we meet…

KEN PHILLIPS

What’s your name, what’s your role in the company you are presently working at, and since when are you working there? Where are you from and where do you live now?

Ever since I can remember. Probably since I was 2 years old, listening to Disney songs with my Grandma.

When you were 20, what was your dream (in the music world)?

I wasn’t exactly sure, but I knew I wanted to be a part of the music business working directly with artists in some capacity.

Have you ever been a musician? Tell us about your career.

No, except playing the trumpet in middle school for music class elective. I was absolutely horrible.

ABOUT THE MUSIC BUSINESS

Do you live from it?

Yes

With Jay Leno and Joan Jett, 2006

Is it still possible to make a living with music today? What do you need to do to make ends meet?

Yes, I think it’s possible to make a living in the music biz. If you’re creative and have the right contacts in the business along with a smart manager and well connected lawyer, you can certainly make a career in music.

Who did you meet in your musical path that was key to your development / success?

Three people led me to my success in the music biz. Radio DJ and program director Jhani Kaye. He introduced me to songwriter Diane Warren who gave me my first real job in the “music biz”. After working with Diane for 2 ½ years, I worked for publicity guru Bob Merlis at Warner Bros. Records. Bob is the reason I am a publicist today.

What do you like about your current position?

That I can absolutely make all my own decision and choose which clients I want to work with.

What would you change about the music business today?

Uneducated managers

Which great personal goal have you not achieved yet?

Working with the Foo Fighters, Shirley Manson of Garbage or Adele

With Dave Grohl, 2013

Vinyl, cassette, CD or digital?

CD

with Pentatonix, winners at the Grammy Awards, 2015

ON ARTISTS AND MUSIC

What are your preferred music genres? Was it always the case through your life?

My musical tastes have always been all over the map, from pop to country to R&B and punk rock.